At this year's National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) Conference, AFT-Maryland and Baltimore Teachers Union President Marietta English was sworn in as president of that organization. She will serve a three year term as head of the educational lobbying organization. English has been a NABSE member since the 1980s.

BESE Report - December, 2015

It’s a conflict that has frustrated parents and school administrators ever since a protest movement last spring prompted thousands of students to opt-out of taking PARCC tests. Federal law requires schools to report test scores and be graded based on them, but no law forces students to take the tests.

In a compromise that was vetted by the Parish Superintendents Advisory Council, but not the Accountability Commission, BESE approved an emergency rule that allows schools in which students to avoid penalties, at least for one year.

Meet MCEA member Ray Crosby. He is a 39-year veteran of State and County Service in Harford County. Throughout his two decades of membership in MCEA Chapter 610, he has served the union in a number of roles including chief steward, county chair, and chapter treasurer.

Meet MCEA member Ray Crosby. He is a 39-year veteran of State and County Service in Harford County. Throughout his two decades of membership in MCEA Chapter 610, he has served the union in a number of roles including chief steward, county chair, and chapter treasurer.

STATE UNDERFUNDING AND RAPID CHARTER GROWTH PUT NEWARK BUDGET IN CRISIS

The First VNC in President Ely

Our colleagues from HCAMS (HealthCare Assistance with Member Support) will be doing an afterschool workshop at the Newark Teachers Union on December 15, 2015.   They will be explaining the services they offer and how union members can access them.

We have confirmed dates and location for our upcoming regional membership meetings:

This week, the House of Representatives will take up the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Senate is scheduled to follow suit as soon the House is finished. The reauthorized law, called the Every Student Succeeds Act:

*         eliminates the adequate yearly progress requirement;

*         maintains certification for paraprofessionals;

*         revamps accountability to include other measures of student learning and school indicators, and allows for a pilot program for project based-assessments in lieu of standardized tests;